how to use printer to print a datagrid

i have a problem about the database in vb. how can i use the printer in vb to print the table in my database.. can i use print the datagrid in my form??.

This question is asked frequently (Check the search function on this forum)

The short answer is "You don't want to print the DataGrid"
(The grid may be 1000 lines long - a grid is what you see on the screen.)


Ie, to just print the grid, make the grid as big as you want on a form, then issue the command Form1.PrintForm - the form prints along with the grid
(with all its controls) These you can made invisible of course. Multiple pages become a bit of a challenge.

You don't actually want to print the DataGrid - you want to print all the lines inside the datagrid

An option is to export the Grid lines to Excel - then the user prints out an excel sheet.

If you users don't own excel, then you are forced to create a report format programatically

Although you can download the Excel Viewer, as can your clients. It makes it easy to view spreadsheets.

im useing this code to load to excel first is there a way to make it load excel without useing the path to it

Shell """" & "C:\Program Files\Office10\excel.exe" & """" & " " & _
"""" & "C:\search.xls" & """"

Try the API. It wlll find the app for you! :)

Code:

---

Option Explicit

Private Declare Function ShellExecute Lib "shell32.dll" Alias "ShellExecuteA" (ByVal hwnd As Long, ByVal lpOperation As String, _
ByVal lpFile As String, ByVal lpParameters As String, ByVal lpDirectory As String, ByVal nShowCmd As Long) As Long

Private Const SW_HIDE As Long = 0
Private Const SW_SHOWNORMAL As Long = 1
Private Const SW_SHOWMINIMIZE As Long = 2
Private Const SW_SHOWMAXIMIZED As Long = 3
Private Const SW_SHOWNOACTIVATE As Long = 4
Private Const SW_SHOW As Long = 5
Private Const SW_MINIMIZE As Long = 6
Private Const SW_SHOWMINNOACTIVED As Long = 7
Private Const SW_SHOWNA As Long = 8
Private Const SW_RESTORE As Long = 9
Private Const SW_SHOWDEFAULT As Long = 10

'SW_HIDE 0
'Hides the window and activates another window.
'SW_MAXIMIZE 3
'Maximizes the specified window.
'SW_MINIMIZE 6
'Minimizes the specified window and activates
'the next top-level window in the Z order.
'SW_RESTORE 9
'Activates and displays the window. If the window
'is minimized or maximized, Windows restores it
' to its original size and position. An application
'should specify this flag when restoring a minimized window.
'SW_SHOW 5
'Activates the window and displays it in its current size and position.
'SW_SHOWDEFAULT 10
'Sets the show state based on the SW_ flag
' specified in the STARTUPINFO structure passed to the CreateProcess function by the program that started the application. An application should call ShowWindow with this flag to set the initial show state of its main window.
'SW_SHOWMAXIMIZED 3
'Activates the window and displays it as a maximized window.
'SW_SHOWMINIMIZE 2
'Activates the window and displays it as a minimized window.
'SW_SHOWMINNOACTIVED 7
'Displays the window as a minimized window. The active window remains active.
'SW_SHOWNA 8
'Displays the window in its current state. The active window remains active.
'SW_SHOWNOACTIVATE 4
'Displays a window in its most recent size
'and position. The active window remains active.
'SW_SHOWNORMAL 1
'Activates and displays a window. If the window is minimized or
'maximized, Windows restores it to its original size and position.
'An application should specify this flag when displaying the window
'for the first time


Private Sub Command1_Click()
  ShellExecute 0&, "OPEN", "www.msn.com", vbNullString, "C:\", SW_SHOWMINIMIZE
'    ShellExecute 0&, "OPEN", "D:\temp\pps-cd\play.bat", vbNullString, "C:\", SW_SHOWNORMAL
'    ShellExecute 0&, "OPEN", "outlook.exe", vbNullString, "C:\", SW_SHOWNORMAL
'    ShellExecute 0&, "PRINT", "D:\temp\jazz.txt", vbNullString, "D:\temp", SW_SHOWMINIMIZE
    Beep
 '  c:\program files\outlook express\msimn.exe
 '  c:\ = Destination Folder
End Sub

---

OK ! Here it is !

MSFLEXGRID REPORTING USING EXCEL

You need to create a REFERENCE to Excel in the Project
(You will need Excel on the Generating Machine - Excel or Excel Reader on the viewing machines)

Code:

---

Public Sub FlexGrid_To_Excel(TheFlexgrid As MSFlexGrid, _
  TheRows As Integer, TheCols As Integer, _
  Optional GridStyle As Integer = 1, Optional WorkSheetName _
  As String)
   
Dim objXL As New Excel.Application
Dim wbXL As New Excel.Workbook
Dim wsXL As New Excel.Worksheet
Dim intRow As Integer ' counter
Dim intCol As Integer ' counter

If Not IsObject(objXL) Then
    MsgBox "You need Microsoft Excel to use this function", _
      vbExclamation, "Print to Excel"
    Exit Sub
End If

'On Error Resume Next is necessary because
'someone may pass more rows
'or columns than the flexgrid has

'you can instead check for this,
'or rewrite the function so that
'it exports all non-fixed cells
'to Excel

On Error Resume Next

' open Excel
objXL.Visible = True
Set wbXL = objXL.Workbooks.Add
Set wsXL = objXL.ActiveSheet

' name the worksheet
With wsXL
    If Not WorkSheetName = "" Then
        .Name = WorkSheetName
    End If
End With
   
' fill worksheet
For intRow = 1 To TheRows
    For intCol = 1 To TheCols
        With TheFlexgrid
            wsXL.Cells(intRow, intCol).Value = _
              .TextMatrix(intRow - 1, intCol - 1) & " "
        End With
    Next
Next

' format the look
For intCol = 1 To TheCols
    wsXL.Columns(intCol).AutoFit
    'wsXL.Columns(intCol).AutoFormat (1)
    wsXL.Range("a1", Right(wsXL.Columns(TheCols).AddressLocal, _
        1) & TheRows).AutoFormat GridStyle
Next

End Sub

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